Moses in Rabbinic Literature - at The Exodus

At The Exodus

During this night all the first-born, including the female first-born, were killed, with the exception of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, who had adopted Moses. Although she was a first-born child, she was saved through Moses' prayer ("Book of Jasher" p. 125b).

During the Exodus while all the people thought only of taking the gold and silver of the Egyptians, Moses endeavored to carry away boards for use in the construction of the future Temple (compare Genesis Rabba xciv. 4 and Jew. Encyc. vii. 24, s.v. Jacob) and to remove Joseph's coffin. Serah, Asher's daughter, told Moses that the coffin had been lowered into the Nile; whereupon Moses went to the bank of the river and cried: "Come up, Joseph" (according to another version, he wrote the name of God on a slip of paper, which he threw into the Nile), when the coffin immediately rose to the surface (Sotah 13a; Exodus Rabba xx. 17; "D. Y." l.c.; "Book of Jasher" p. 126). Another legend says that Joseph's coffin was among the royal tombs, the Egyptians guarding it with dogs whose barking could be heard throughout Egypt; but Moses silenced the dogs and took the coffin out (Sotah l.c.; Exodus Rabba l.c.; comp. Joseph in Rabbinical Literature).

On arriving at the Red Sea, Moses said to God when commanded by Him to cleave the water: "Thou hast made it a law of nature that the sea shall never be dry," whereupon God replied that at the Creation He had made an agreement with the sea as to the separation of its waters at this time.

When the Israelites saw Pharaoh and his army drown in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:30-31) they wished to return to Egypt and set up a kingdom there; but Moses prevented them, urging them on by force. He also removed the idols which the Israelites had brought with them from Egypt (Exodus Rabba xxiv. 2).